Sports Car or Bicycle?
Every time I’m driving somewhere in my car and see people on bicycles, I feel a little jealous. At that moment, I want to pull over, leave the car behind, and get on a bike instead. I would gladly trade the need to drive for the freedom to ride a bicycle.
But it wasn’t always like this.
Like many others, I used to dream about cars. As boys, we were fascinated by them. We followed new models, read about them, compared them, and watched every new development in the automotive industry. The car I drive today is one I wouldn’t even have dared to dream about back then.
And yet, today it feels completely different.
I no longer feel that things like cars, property, and possessions really give me that much. Quite the opposite. They take something away from me. Something important that I didn’t value nearly enough when I was younger: time.
Time is something I have much less of today, and perhaps that is exactly why I have started to value it so much more.
Suddenly, simple things matter again. A good, ordinary night’s sleep. A long bike ride. A walk. Hiking in the mountains. Spending time with family, children and grandchildren.
All of these things have become far more important to me than the expensive machines we buy that somehow end up taking away so much of our freedom.
That may sound paradoxical. But think about it.
First, you have to spend a lot of money to buy a car. Then you have to service it regularly, following the manufacturer’s requirements. You have to fuel it or charge it. Change the tires. Think about where to park it. Worry about something breaking. Make sure it is insured. Hope nobody steals it or scratches it in a supermarket parking lot—which, unfortunately, happens regularly.
And suddenly, this car you once dreamed of comes with a whole collection of things you never had to think about before.
That is why these days I dream of not needing a car at all. Of being able to live without one. Because that would mean getting rid of a whole set of worries and having more time for things that matter much more.
What about you?
Which would you choose: a sports car or a good bicycle?